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Poolwerx Union Hills Awarded Franchisee of the Year by International Franchise Association

LAS VEGAS, March 1, 2023 – The International Franchise Association (IFA) today named Bobbi and Mark Howard, owners of six Poolwerx stores in the Phoenix, Arizona area as a 2023 Franchisee of the Year. Bobbi and Mark were honored at the 63rd IFA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, for being outstanding franchise establishment owner-operators.

“Franchisee of the Year recipients represent the best in franchising,” said Matthew Haller, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “This is the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and local business owners like the Howards exemplify the power of franchising and its positive contributions to communities around the world.” 

The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA’s partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance, and promote the franchise business model. Nominated by their parent company, individuals are selected for their service to their communities, fostering a strong and vibrant workforce, opening the doors for career growth and entrepreneurship, and supporting their fellow franchisees. 

Mark and Bobbi started their pool business upon returning from their honeymoon 38 years ago. They started with one customer (who they still have to this day) and broke through all barriers to steadily grow their residential pool service, commercial service, repair and remodel business valley-wide. Since joining Poolwerx in 2015, they grew their business exponentially, expanding to five times their original size, and growing from one retail location to six in just over two years. 

“Mark and Bobbi truly demonstrate the power in what partnering with a franchise can do,” says Andrew Kidd, CEO at Poolwerx. “Through offering competitive pay, paid time off, medical and 401k, they have become an employer of choice. Along with their family and non-family members, they have created an upbeat, friendly, and caring culture that spreads to the community.”

“With their amazing caring team, Bobbi and Mark engage with the community through programs like Learn2Swim month, partnering with local swim schools yearly in the month of April to provide a free swim lesson to every child, and during Covid in 2020, they delivered food or supplies for families who had to quarantine. They continue to assist and lead all US Poolwerx partners in training, business best practices, and following the franchise model to succeed.”

About the International Franchise Association:

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 790,492 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.4 million direct jobs, $825.4 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development. 

About Poolwerx

Founded in 1992 by entrepreneur, John O’Brien, Poolwerx has grown to become a global pool brand and the largest in the pool service industry, with nearly 600 service vehicles and 160 plus stores. Poolwerx leaves competitors to tread water thanks to a professional development strategy to convert employees to franchisees, a technology-driven and scalable model and recurring revenue streams.

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Poolwerx Partners with Norwest to Drive Growth Dallas, Texas, July 6, 2022 - Poolwerx, the world’s largest global franchise pool service brand, today announced it is partnering with Norwest, a leading global investment firm, to drive business growth across the U.S. and overseas. Founded in 1992 by entrepreneur and CEO John O’Brien, Poolwerx has demonstrated its resilience as a brand with immense growth in every year of operation despite multiple recessions. The business currently supports 350 franchise partners, 170 stores and more than 600 service vans in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, with U.S. headquarters in Dallas. Poolwerx joins other market-leading franchise businesses in Norwest’s portfolio, including Junk King and The Learning Experience. The Norwest team brings extensive home services expertise and will provide resources that enable Poolwerx to expand its footprint across the U.S. and expand into new international markets. This strategic partnership will empower existing franchise partners to grow their businesses at a faster rate. “We are thrilled to welcome Norwest to the Poolwerx family,” said O’Brien. “Through this new partnership, we will have access to Norwest’s wealth of experience across both franchise and non-franchise businesses, allowing us to reach our ambitious growth goals faster.” “Poolwerx is one of the few international franchise brands that has cracked the U.S. market as a result of its robust expansion processes, strong relationships with franchise partners and suppliers, and fiercely loyal customer base,” said Stew Campbell, Partner at Norwest. “The company is uniquely positioned to capitalize on opportunities in the large and growing pool and spa market across products and services domestically and overseas.” “This partnership will have a huge impact on the growth opportunities for our U.S. operations. While our leadership team and day-to-day operations will remain the same, we expect to see a big impact in the success of both our brand and franchise partners,” O’Brien said. “I am proud to announce COO Andrew Kidd will move into the role as North American CEO. With 10 years of experience in leadership roles at Poolwerx, Kidd will bring his skills in franchising and operations to his enhanced role in the United States. “I will continue to strategically lead the business as Executive Director. In the meantime, it’s business as usual as we continue our mission of building a network of small businesses that help families create lifelong poolside memories.” InterFinancial Corporate Finance was the lead advisor to Poolwerx and its shareholders on this transaction. About Norwest Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $12.5 billion in capital. Since its inception, Norwest has invested in more than 650 companies and currently partners with more than 200 companies in its venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early- to late-stage businesses across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise and healthcare. The Norwest team offers a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com. Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP. 
Poolwerx and Goldfish Swim School Partner to Promote Swim & Water Safety During Learn2Swim Month Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in children under five. According to the National Institutes of Health, swim lessons can reduce the risk of childhood drownings by 88%. Beginning April 1, 2022, also known as April Pools Day, Poolwerx is partnering with Goldfish Swim School to offer free introductory swimming lessons to children under five. Throughout Learn2Swim Month, April 1-30, 2022, customers can visit the Poolwerx website to sign up and redeem a free trial swim lesson at nearby participating Goldfish Swim School locations. Lessons must be redeemed by July 31, 2022. The goal of this initiative is to promote swim and water safety ahead of pool season and the upcoming summer months when families begin dipping their toes back in the water. "Our business is about providing clients with healthy pools. We believe an extension of that is having families feel safe around their pools," says Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Kidd. "When we researched drowning statistics, we were alarmed by the numbers. We want to raise awareness and encourage families to teach their little ones to swim so families can enjoy their pools confidently, and we can continue serving them the best way we know how: with quality pool products and services." Sadly, the summer months (May – August) account for two-thirds of annual childhood drowning incidents, according to Total Aquatics Programming data. Drowning can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone, but there are several water safety tips to help reduce the risk and keep families safe this summer. One of the best ways to protect your children against drowning is to improve comfort level in the water and strengthen swimming capabilities through swim lessons. Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay®, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. "At Goldfish Swim School, we are passionate about showing kids just how fun it can be to learn the important skill of swimming," said Goldfish Swim School Co-Founder & CEO, Chris McCuiston. "We're thrilled to be part of this program. During Learn2Swim Month, we are committed to this initiative and sharing the life-saving benefits of lessons by offering an incredible swimming experience to an even broader consumer base, in the safest and most fun environment possible." All Goldfish Swim School locations' number one focus and main priority is always the same – educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water. "The long-term health benefits of swimming are abundant. Swimming builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness. It can improve sleep and relax both children and adults," continues Kidd. "At Poolwerx, we know that our customers don't just value clear water, they value clean, healthy water. We pride ourselves on our expertise and always strive to give our customers the best and safest swimming conditions. This begins with our active endorsement and support for all families who would like easy access to lessons for the littlest of future swimmers." About PoolwerxFounded in 1992 by CEO and entrepreneur, John O'Brien, Poolwerx has grown to become a global pool brand and the largest in the pool service industry, with nearly 600 service vehicles and 160 plus stores. Poolwerx leaves competitors to tread water thanks to a professional development strategy to convert employees to franchisees, a technology-driven and scalable model and recurring revenue streams. The brand is now driving explosive franchise growth across the United States, with a five-year development plan to have over 250 stores and over 700 service vans operating in the U.S. by 2030. About Goldfish Swim School Founded by husband-and-wife team, Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly, and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500® ranking, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 125 schools open, and an additional 120+ in development in more than 30 states and Canada.    

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